Ten-year Plan: Quatuor Arod Is Determined to Stick Together
“Our goal is to play the next 50 years together, though who knows what life is going to bring.”
January-February 2024
Did You Know There is a Symphony No. 5½?
It comes—quite logically—between Gillis’ Symphonies Nos. 5 and 6 and is subtitled “A Symphony for Fun.”
Composer Nathan Davis Reveals the Bowed Psaltery and All Its Many Possibilities on ‘Neutral Bouyant’
The music reveals an instrument capable of producing tones in surprisingly varied spectrums of texture and color
The Ulysses Quartet Explores the Heart of Janáček’s Quartet No. 2
The intensity and raw emotion of it really spoke to all of us
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Libraries, Museums, and Websites Are Making Composers’ Original Manuscripts More Accessible Than Ever
The autograph treasures housed in publicly accessible libraries is now often represented in a few clicks of a mouse
Fiddler Rachel Calvert Takes a Leap of Faith With Barbaro
"Playing in small classical ensembles was a great way to prepare for the dynamics, both social and musical, in a band"
Second Chances: Denied a Spot in the Orchestra as a Kid, This Violinist Found the Right Teacher as an Adult Beginner
One challenge in being an adult beginner is finding a teacher who is willing to divert from the typical lesson format to incorporate adult learning principles
Sheet Music Review: Michele Galvagno’s ‘Dotzauer: Two Quartets, Op. 12’ Casts the Cello in a Starring Role
These two quartets feature a substantial cello part throughout
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Musicians and Mental Health: A Toxic Culture Takes Its Toll on Players’ Well-Being
Poor mental health is shockingly common among professional musicians
The Journey to Build a Six-String Acoustic Cello with Luthier Trevor Davis and Player Geoff Manyin
A six-string acoustic cello would allow for greater range of tone, though building one would definitely pose challenges
Heavy Metal Meets Classical: Rachel Barton Pine Finds a Common Ground
Her prolific discography documents the violinist’s passion for classical music, Chicago blues, Scottish fiddling, and heavy metal
How to Identify and Fix Common String Playing Injuries
Finding the help you need isn’t always so simple as calling your own doctor
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Farmers in the 19th and Early 20th Centuries Tried Lutherie in Their Downtime—with Mixed Results
American farmers took their skills and sharp blades to making violins with advice that was decidedly vague
Print Music Review: Sheku Kanneh-Mason Showcases Favorites 2 New Collections from Faber Music
Kanneh-Mason invites cellists on an enchanting tour with treasures from all eras
Little (Work)shop of Horrors: Violin and Bow Makers Face a Number of Hazards at the Bench
How makers can keep their bodies and health intact when working with dust, chemicals, and tools
Antonio Lysy’s ‘Bach to Basics’ Video Series Imagines the Ultimate Practice Guide to Bach’s Cello Suites
With insightful instruction and thoughtful questions, the retired professor is a bit like a cello-playing Mr. Rogers
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Bassist Mikyung Sung Shows Good Things Come to Those Who Wait on ‘The Colburn Sessions’
The album is pure bliss, thanks to Sung’s virtuosic command of the double bass
When Considering a Shoulder Rest, Balance and Proper Support are Key
Finding a comfortable, balanced setup should make playing a stringed instrument that much more enjoyable and connected.
Copland’s Violin Sonata Balances the Confidence and Grief of Wartime
Beneath this music’s seemingly simple surface runs a darker vein
New Products: Tascam’s Portacapture X8 and X6 Recorders are Designed to Make Great Recordings Easy
The company’s Portacapture X8 and X6 models both offer compact frames with dual built-in mics and 32-bit “float” recording technology.
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Two Underrated Sonata Works Join a Concert Staple on Christoph Croisé’s Album ‘1883’
The Strauss and Grieg sonatas on this album were both written in 1883, while Fauré's Élégie was premiered in that year.
Violinist Boson Mo Found His Ideal Match in a Contemporary Instrument
Mo plays on a violin made in 2010 by the illustrious luthier Joseph Curtin
Violinist Tai Murray Tells Stories Through Music with the Gateways Chamber Players
Murray starred in a program of 20th-century music about violinists and Faustian bargains at Carnegie Hall
Beyond the Big 5: Making a Case for New, Neglected, and Offbeat Concertos
Concert programmers and soloists must often summon their powers of persuasion to get new and obscure repertoire before receptive audiences.